Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-16
MANY LIVES WERE LOST <!
THE MOST APPALLING DISASTER OF
 MODERN TIMES.

Millions or PeOpIe Ma0e hOmeleSS ana
 Starving, While the Loss of Life is Incal-
 culabIe-China's Central Plain Becomes
 a Great Lake-The Cry for Bread.
 SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16-The steamship City of Sydney arrived yesterday afternoon from Hong Kong and Yokohama. Chinese papers give details of a disaster occasoned by the Hong Ho, or Yellow river overflow ing its banks in the province of Honan, and describe it as one of the most appalling oc- currences in loss of life and property re- corded in recent times The river broke its banks on the evening of Sept. 2S, southwest of the city of Chingchow, and not only com- pletely inundated that city, but also ten other populous cities. The whole era is now a raging sea ten to thirty feet deep, where it was once densely populated and rich plain. The former bed of the Yellow river is now dry, and the present lake was the bed of the river centuries ago. The loss of life is incalcul- able, and the statement is made by mission aries that millions of Chinese are homeless and starving.
 Thomas Patton, one of the American mis- sionaries, writing from the Honan province under the date of Oct 2S, says: 1.-The newly gathered crops, houses and trees are all swept away, involving a fearful loss of life. The country was covered with fine winter growth, which is gone, and implies complete destruction to next years crop Bread, bread, is the cry of thousands who are on the river bank.
 Benevolent ople go in boats and throw bread among the masses here and there, but it is nothing compared with the require ments. The mass of people is still cling in- creased by continual arrivals, even more hungry than the last. There tn V sit, stunned, hungry and dejected, without a rag to wear or a morsel of food. Mat huts are being erected for them. What it will be in two months cannot conceive. Tie mis- cry is increased owing to the bitter cold weather.n
 The Yellow river has long been known as "China's Sorrow" and the recent disaster has served to reassert its right to the terri ble title. As yet details of the disaster are very meager. It has occurred in district where but few foreigners live, and the re- ports, furnished by the officials, and pub ;ished in The Pekin Gazette, convey a very inadequate account of the extent of the loss of life and property and the sufferings of the survivors, The governor in Houan reports to the emperor:
 ''Nearly all the people have been drowned in the district reached by the water tho sur vivors being those who escaped to the high ground or took refuge in trees, where they remained till they were rescued"
 The Chinese Times in the province of Pc Chihli, where disastrous inundations have also occurred, says that the misery in that province is trifing as compared with that caused by the Yellow river The extent of ground swept over by the overwhelming flood is over 1000 square miles, and the land thus submerged formed part of one of the richest and most densely populated plains of northern China. The necessity for liberal aid may, therefore, be imagined. Already considerable sums have been contributed toward the relief of the sufferers.
 The emperor of China has given 2GOO ,O0C taes, and the Chinese have started sub. scription lists in Shanghai, to which for eigners have literally contributed Millions have been rendered houseless and entirely deprived of all chances of earning their livelihood, for their fields will either become permanent lakes or uninha bitable swamrs It is feared that the distress which will be felt during the coming winter will equal in intensity the famine of ten years ago, when charitable donations contributed to from all parts of the world were utterly inadequate It is said that owing to the action taken by the Yellow river it no longer flows toward the sea, but seems to be converting eastern Honan and northern Ngan- Hwei into lake It may ultimately flow into the sea through the Kiangon, or it may even possibly join the Yangtse- Kiang.